Letter: Numbers game

Sir: Alarmed at the rapidity with which the next phone number change is upon us and having received no notification from BT about the effect of the changes, I called the BT operator to find out what my number will be after 1 June.

The operator didn't know but gave me the BT national number-change number (0800 224 2000). This, on dialling, was unobtainable.

On calling back, I was told that 0181will be replaced by 0208, and that my present seven- digit number remains unchanged for local calls. This operator also found the freephone number unobtainable, although she did eventually locate another number which got me through.

I was then given information which contradicted what I had been told earlier: my local number does become eight- digit.

Can I reprint my company's stationery on this basis?

ALEC BARTON

London SE23